Israel has violated Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity over 3,000 times in 2012 in blatant violation of UN Security Council resolution, Press TV reports.

In the year 2012, Israel has approximately violated Lebanon’s sovereignty 3,400 times through air, water and ground.

The UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The most frequent breaches of Israel are overflights by Israeli war planes and drones to Lebanese skies. Following Israel’s 2006 attack on Lebanon, the total number of violations exceeded 20,000, which is an average of more than nine violations per day.

Lebanon has filed numerous complaints to the United Nations, presenting documents pertaining to Israeli violations. But Israel continues its violation of Lebanon’s airspace.

“These continuous Israeli violations are clear proof of the hostile nature of the Israeli enemy and even though Lebanon has filed many complaints to the UN, we are dealt with double standards. Israel was always treated as an exception and its disregard of international resolutions was unpunished,” Qassem Hashem, a Lebanese lawmaker told Press TV.

An Israeli reconnaissance plane has penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab at 3:45 p.m. (1245 GMT) on Monday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military on Tuesday.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut before it left Lebanese airspace at 8:20 p.m. (1720 GMT) while flying over the southern village of al-Naqoura, which is situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of the capital.

Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

A massive explosion has rocked an area near a town in southern Lebanon close to the border with the Israeli occupied territories, Lebanese security sources say.

The sources reported on Monday that the explosion occurred at 6:45 a.m. local time near the town of Tair Harfa. The blast was caused by Israeli ammunition that had been unexploded and left over from the Tel Aviv regime’s 33-day war on Lebanon in 2006.

The border town was heavily bombarded by Israeli forces during the war.

Lebanese media said Hezbollah had cordoned off the site of the explosion, preventing the army and the United Nations peacekeeping forces to enter the area.

At least 1,400 Lebanese civilians were killed and around 3,000 others wounded when Israeli forces launched a deadly war on Lebanon in 2006.

However, Hezbollah was able not only to confront the Israeli war machine, but also to create a balance of fear by firing rockets into Israeli cities in an unprecedented way to retaliate against the Tel Aviv regime’s bombardments.

Six Israeli military aircraft have violated Lebanese airspace and flown over several parts of the country in blatant disregard for a UN Security Council resolution.

Two Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern village of Kfar Kila, located about 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut on Wednesday, according to a Thursday statement by the Lebanese military.

The warplanes flew over several areas in Lebanon before leaving Lebanese airspace from the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Later in the day, four Israeli jets entered Lebanese airspace over Kfar Kila village. They flew over several areas of Lebanon before leaving the country’s airspace from the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have repeatedly condemned the flyovers, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Two Israeli military aircraft have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country in a clear violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 9:22 a.m. local time (0622 GMT) on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The warplanes flew over several areas in Lebanon before leaving Lebanese airspace at 11:15 a.m. local time (0815 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Seven Israeli military aircraft have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

An Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle entered Lebanese airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, located 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of the capital Beirut, at 8:20 a.m. local time (0520 GMT) on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over Bekaa Valley region in the east before it left the country’s airspace at 12:40 p.m. local time (0940 GMT).

Two Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern village of Kfar Kila, located about 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 9:45 a.m. local time (0645 GMT).

The warplanes flew over several areas in southern Lebanon and the capital Beirut before leaving the Lebanese airspace at 10:15 a.m. local time (0715 GMT) while flying over al-Naqoura village.

Two other Israeli warplanes entered Lebanese airspace over Kfar Kila village at 9:50 a.m. local time (0650 GMT).

The fighter jets flew over several areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut before they left the Lebanese airspace at 10:20 a.m. local time (0720 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Two Israeli jets also crossed into Lebanon's airspace over Kfar Kila village at 11:50 a.m. local time (0850 GMT). They flew over several areas of Lebanon before leaving the country’s airspace at 1:25 p.m. local time (1025 GMT) while flying over al-Naqoura village.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the over flights saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701 which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Eight Israeli military aircraft have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

An Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle entered Lebanese airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut, at 7:10 a.m. local time (0410 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over the towns of Riyaq, Baalbek, and al-Harmel before it left the country’s airspace at 3:30 p.m. local time (1230 GMT) while flying over al-Naqoura village.

Four Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over al-Naqoura village at 7:45 a.m. (0445 GMT).

The warplanes flew over several areas in Lebanon before leaving Lebanese airspace at 10:15 a.m. local time (0715 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

On Monday, an Israeli drone crossed into Lebanese airspace over Alma al-Shaab at 9:05 p.m. local time (1805 GMT).

The aircraft made surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon before it left the country’s airspace at 11:32 p.m. local time (2035 GMT) while flying over Alma al-Shaab.

Earlier in the day, two Israeli warplanes entered Lebanese airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 2:30 p.m. local time (1130 GMT).

The fighter jets flew over several areas of Lebanon before they left the country’s airspace at 4:10 p.m. local time (1310 GMT) while flying over the village of al-Naqoura.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

An Israeli reconnaissance plane has penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of the capital Beirut, at 7:25 a.m. local time (0425 GMT) on Saturday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon before it left the country’s airspace at 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) while flying over al-Naqoura village. Israel violates Lebanon's airspace on an almost daily basis, claiming the flights serve surveillance purposes.

Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Israeli military aircraft have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

Two Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 11:05 a.m. local time (0805 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The warplanes flew over several areas in Lebanon before leaving Lebanese airspace at 1:10 p.m. local time (1010 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Israeli military aircraft have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

An Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle entered Lebanese airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut, at 7:50 a.m. local time (0450 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military on Thursday.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon, Bekaa Valley region in the east and Beirut before it left the country’s airspace at 5:55 p.m. local time (1455 GMT) from the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Meanwhile, four Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 10:50 a.m. local time (0750 GMT).

The warplanes flew over several areas in Lebanon before leaving the Lebanese airspace at 11:45 a.m. local time (0845 GMT) from the town of Alma al-Shaab.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Israeli military aircraft have entered Lebanese airspace and flown over areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

Two Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanese airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 10:50 a.m. local time (0750 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The warplanes flew over several areas of the country before they left Lebanese airspace at 11:30 a.m. local time (0830 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

An Israeli reconnaissance plane has penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, which is situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut, at 9:45 a.m. local time (0645 GMT) on Friday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military on Saturday.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon before it left the country’s airspace at 3:20 p.m. (1220 GMT) while flying over the village of al-Naqoura.

Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Israeli military aircraft have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

Four Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 9:45 a.m. local time (0645 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The warplanes flew over several areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut before leaving Lebanese airspace at 10:40 a.m. local time (0740 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

On Monday, an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle entered Lebanese airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut, at 10:45 a.m. local time (0745 GMT).

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon before it left Lebanese airspace at 1:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday (2215 GMT Monday) while flying over Alma al-Shaab.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

An Israeli reconnaissance plane has penetrated Lebanon’s airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into the airspace over the southern village of Kfar Kila, located about 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of the capital Beirut, at 6:30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT) on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over Bekaa Valley region in eastern Lebanon before it left the airspace at 4 p.m. local time (1300 GMT) while flying over the southern village of Rmeish.

The Lebanese government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

An Israeli reconnaissance plane has penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of the capital Beirut, at 6:50 a.m. local time (0350 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military on Thursday.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon before it left the country’s airspace at 7:10 p.m. local time (1610 GMT) while flying over the southern village of Rmeish. Israel violates Lebanon's airspace on an almost daily basis, claiming the flights serve surveillance purposes.

Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

A prominent political analyst tells Press TV that Israel and NATO are the most likely culprits behind the assassination of Lebanese security chief Wissam al-Hassan as they are the ones who benefit from the murder.

In a Monday interview, American author and historian, Webster Griffin Tarpley said that ‘pro-NATO’ analysts are trying in vain to portray Syria as the perpetrator as such accusations make no sense.

“I think I’ve heard many sort of pro-NATO commentators on the air this morning that this is an open and shut case.

That is simply not true and there is a significant body of evidence that the ‘cui bono?’ or ‘cui prodest?’ question [Latin phrases meaning who stands to gain?] points to NATO and the Israelis.

[who was killed in a massive car bombing in Beirut] the Syrian government was the big loser; they were ejected from Lebanon at that point; the idea that Syria would want to repeat that at this point with a high-profile political assassination inside Lebanon I think is absurd,” Tarpley said.

Tarpley argued that NATO and the Israeli regime would gain from Hassan’s murder as it is obvious that they are after the destabilization of Lebanon.

“It’s very clear… that NATO and the Israelis would strive for the partition of Lebanon, the breakup of the country into subdivisions and in particular they’ve had their eye on Northern Lebanon. That Tripoli area where there is a significant airbase which right now is not developed but NATO would like to get that and make that into ... [its own] airbase and develop it,” he said.

Many analysts also blame Israel for the deadly attack as Hassan had been successful in uncovering and dismantling Israeli spy cells in Lebanon.

The Lebanese resistance movement of Hezbollah has condemned the attack, describing it as an attempt to destabilize Lebanon and target its national unity.

The opposition led by former Prime Minister Saad Hariri responded to the assassination by accusing the Lebanese government of being involved in the killing and demanding the resignation of current Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

“They were all set to go with a new government. Now the current government has a significant Hezbollah component in it and that has guaranteed a modicum of internal peace to Lebanon...the Israelis have been looking for ways to try to encircle Hezbollah for quite a while. They’ve tried militarily and they failed.”

Israeli military aircraft have entered Lebanese airspace and flown over several areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

An Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the city of Tyre, located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Beirut, at around 12 noon local time (0900 GMT) on Tuesday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon and Beirut before it left the Lebanese airspace at 1:40 p.m. local time (1040 GMT) while flying over the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut.

Earlier in the day, four Israeli fighter jets crossed into Lebanese airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 10:23 a.m. local time (0723 GMT).

The warplanes flew over several areas of the country before they left Lebanese airspace at 11:25 a.m. local time (0825 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Four Israeli warplanes also crossed into Lebanon’s airspace over Kfar Kila village at 10:20 a.m. local time (0720 GMT) and flew over several areas in Lebanon.

The aircraft left Lebanese airspace at 11:45 A.M. (0845 GMT) while flying over the southern village of al-Naqoura.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

Two Israeli reconnaissance planes have penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

An Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, situated 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of the capital Beirut, at 7:10 a.m. local time (0410 GMT) on Saturday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon before it left the country’s airspace at 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) while flying over the southern village of Rmeish.

On Friday, an Israeli drone entered Lebanon’s airspace over the southern village of Rmeish at 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and flew over several areas in southern Lebanon.

The aircraft left Lebanese airspace at 7:20 p.m. local time (1620 GMT) while flying over the southern village of al-Naqoura

Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

The aftermath of a deadly car bomb attack in the Lebanese capital Beirut on October 19, 2012

Some political analysts have blamed the Israeli regime for a deadly car bombing in the Lebanese capital in which at least eight people, including a senior intelligence official, were killed and dozens of others were injured.

“As 1992 to today in the day bombing of Beirut the identical scenario, who benefits from attempting to divide Lebanon and spread the turmoil, who benefits destabilizing the government in Damascus, who states to destabilize Beirut and subject Lebanon to civil war, the Zionist regime (Israel), the Mossad. It is a classical operation of Mossad,” Ralph Schoenman, a political commentator from Berkeley, told Press TV.

Brigadier General Wissam al-Hassan -- the intelligence chief of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces - is believed to be the intended target of the attack that took place near Sassine Square in Beirut’s predominantly Christian district of Ashrafiya on Friday.

Lebanese government is to hold an emergency cabinet meeting to discuss the Friday’s deadly bomb blast.

The government has already declared Saturday a day of mourning for the victims of the incident. Lebanese political parties have described the terrorist attack as an attempt to destabilize the country.

Meanwhile, the anti-Syrian March 14 alliance has said Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati must be held accountable for the bombing, calling for his resignation.

The anti-Syrian group has also accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of orchestrating the attack and has demanded the expulsion of Syrian ambassador to Lebanon. This is while the Syrian government was among the first countries to condemn the bombing as a “cowardly” move.

Prime Minister Mikati said the government was trying to identify and punish the perpetrators of the terrorist attack.

Israeli military aircraft have entered Lebanon’s airspace and flown over areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

Two Israeli warplanes crossed into the Lebanese airspace over the border village of Kfar Kila, located about 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of the capital Beirut, at 10:50 p.m. local time (1950 GMT) on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The aircraft flew over several areas of Lebanon before they left the airspace at 12:25 p.m. local time (0925 GMT) while flying over the southern sector of the country.

On Wednesday, an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle also violated Lebanon’s airspace over the southern village of al-Naqoura, which is situated about 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut, at 10:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) and made surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon.

The remote-controlled aircraft left the airspace at 6:15 a.m. local time (0315 GMT) on Thursday while flying over al-Naqoura village.

Moreover, another Israeli drone entered Lebanon’s airspace over the southern village of Rmeish at 9:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) on Wednesday and flew over several areas in southern Lebanon.

The aircraft left Lebanese airspace at 10:00 p.m. local time (1900 GMT) while flying over Rmeish village.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

An Israeli reconnaissance plane has penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon's airspace over the southern village of Rmeish at 12:25 p.m. local time (0925 GMT) on Monday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military on Tuesday.

The remote-controlled aircraft conducted surveillance flights over Beirut and several areas in southern Lebanon before it left Lebanese airspace at 8:35 p.m. local time (1735 GMT) while flying over the southern village of Kfar Kila, located about 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut.

Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

The drone Hezbollah recently sent into the Israeli airspace has photographed secret military bases inside the occupied territories, a report says.

According to the UK newspaper Sunday Times, “The drone, which was airborne for three hours before being intercepted by an F-16 jet, is believed to have transmitted pictures of preparations for Israel’s biggest joint military exercise with the US army… as well as ballistic missile sites, main airfields and, possibly, its nuclear reactor in Dimona.”

The report also stated that the interception of the unmanned aerial vehicle was “botched” when the first missile fired by the Israeli warplane missed.

On October 12, Lebanese television Al Manar broadcast footage simulating how the resistance movement sent the drone deep into the Israeli airspace, evading radar systems.

The operation, code-named Hussein Ayub (the ex-commander of Hezbollah air force who was martyred in 1996), saw Hezbollah’s drone fly hundreds of kilometers into the Israeli airspace and get very close to Dimona without being detected by advanced Israeli and US radars, Nasrallah said during a televised speech on October 11.

“This is only part of our capabilities,” he said, adding that the Israelis have admitted to their security failure despite being provided with the latest technologies by Western powers.

The Hezbollah secretary general also stated that the drones are made in Iran but assembled by the resistance movement.

Hezbollah plans to send more drones over Israel in the future, he said, adding that the operation shows the resistance movement is ready to defend Lebanon.

Security analysts say the incident indicates that the Israeli military is incapable of handling a surprise attack despite the numerous military maneuvers regularly conducted by the regime.

Intelligence experts contend that the interloper should have been intercepted from the Mediterranean as it entered the skies of the Gaza Strip, before it was shot down over the Yatir Forest south of the city of al-Khalil.

The Israeli regime has grounded all its warplanes amid fierce criticisms against Tel Aviv’s failure to timely prevent the penetration of a Hezbollah reconnaissance drone into the Israeli airspace.

Israeli military commander Major General Amir Eshel ordered all the aircraft to take a one-day break on Sunday, following a recent incident where two planes almost collided during preparatory flights for the upcoming joint military exercises with the US that are scheduled to begin on October 21.

The Israeli regime has provided no further details but it says the planes will resume their operations on Monday.

On October 6, the Tel Aviv regime said it intercepted an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle.

On October 11, Hezbollah Secretary General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that the Lebanese resistance movement sent the drone deep into the Israeli airspace evading radar systems.

The drone reportedly photographed secret military bases inside the occupied territories, before it was shot down over the Yatir Forest south of the city of al-Khalil.

Security analysts say the incident indicates that the Israeli military is incapable of handling a surprise attack despite the numerous military maneuvers regularly conducted by the regime.

Intelligence experts contend that the interloper should have been intercepted from the Mediterranean as it entered the skies of the Gaza Strip.

Earlier this year, an Israeli warplane and a refueling plane were forced to make emergency landings after the fueling operation turned into a near-crash incident.

Israeli military aircraft have entered Lebanese airspace and flown over areas of the country in blatant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

Two Israeli warplanes crossed into Lebanese airspace over the village of Sheka, located some 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of the capital Beirut, at 12:45 p.m. local time (0945 GMT) on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The aircraft flew over several areas of the country before they left the Lebanese airspace at 2:10 p.m. local time (1110 GMT) while flying over the southern village of Naqoura, which is situated some 91 kilometers (57 miles) south of Beirut.

Earlier in the day, two Israeli warplanes also breached Lebanon’s airspace over the southern border village of Kfar Kila, located 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of Beirut, at 12 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) and flew over several areas in Lebanon.

The aircraft left Lebanese airspace at 12:15 p.m. local time (0915 GMT) while flying over the city of Tripoli, situated 85 kilometers (52 kilometers) north of Beirut.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.

An analyst says the penetration of a drone belonging to the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah deep into the Israeli airspace bears the clear message that Israel “doesn’t have any immunity”, Press TV reports.

“The message [is] that Israel is not protected; doesn’t have any immunity and the whole defense system of Israel could be broken through,” Hisham Jaber, retired Lebanese general and Head of the Middle East Center for studies, said in an interview with Press TV.

Jaber said the incident was “very dangerous” for Tel Aviv as the unmanned aerial vehicle had been flying over Israel for 20 or 25 minutes and very close to the Dimona nuclear plant before it was detected.

“If this aircraft was not for reconnaissance or to spy or to get information, if it was offensive for example and had explosives what do you think it can do? That’s the question and the Israelis are very worried about this.”

“The question is how Israel - and the Americans - who are in the Mediterranean Sea did not open their eyes or did not capture such electronic content before the Israelis discovered this drone over their territory,” he added.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah confirmed on Thursday that the Lebanese resistance movement had sent the drone into the Israeli airspace.

The operation code-named Hussein Ayub saw Hezbollah’s drone fly hundreds of kilometers into the Israeli airspace and getting very close to Dimona nuclear plant without being detected by advanced Israeli and US radars, Nasrallah said, adding, "This is only part of our capabilities."

Lebanon President Michel Sleiman says Hezbollah’s ability to send a drone over Israel shows the need for a new national defense strategy that uses the party’s strength in safeguarding the country.

“The process of dispatching a drone over Israeli enemy territory shows a dire need to approve a defense strategy that would look into the benefits of managing and making use of the resistance’s capabilities,” Sleiman said in a statement on Friday.

He added that Hezbollah’s potential should be used to “safeguard Lebanon and establish a mechanism for issuing a decision to use these capabilities exclusively and under any circumstances in line with national interests [of Lebanon] and the military's defense plans and needs.”

Sleiman’s comments came shortly after Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that the Lebanese resistance movement has sent a drone deep into the Israeli airspace evading radar systems.

The operation code-named Hussein Ayub saw Hezbollah’s drone fly hundreds of kilometers into the Israeli airspace and getting very close to Dimona nuclear plant without being detected by advanced Israeli and US radars.

"This is only part of our capabilities," Nasrallah said on Thursday.

Sleiman noted that daily Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty was a matter “of continuous complaints” made by Lebanon to the UN Security Council.

Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country's sovereignty.

The operation code-named Hussein Ayub saw Hezbollah’s drone fly hundreds of kilometers into the Israeli airspace and getting very close to Dimona nuclear plant without being detected by advanced Israeli and US radars, Nasrallah said during a televised speech late on Thursday.

"This is only part of our capabilities," he stressed, adding that Israelis have admitted to their security failure despite being provided with the latest technologies by Western powers.

Hezbollah secretary-general stated that Hezbollah’s drones are made in Iran but assembled by the resistance movement.

Hezbollah plans to send more drones over Israel in the future, he added, adding that the operation shows the resistance movement is ready to defend Lebanon.

The resistance leader further dismissed Western accusations of Hezbollah's intervention in the Syrian unrest, describing the allegation as "sheer lie."

"Hezbollah has not fought alongside Syrian forces.... It is not true that Hezbollah is going to take some land from Syria," Nasrallah stated.

Hezbollah's leader also rejected allegations that Abu Abbas was the movement's commander in Syria, and condemned insurgents in Syria for threatening Lebanon.

An unarmed drone shot down by Israel on Saturday after it entered the country's airspace from the Mediterranean Sea could have been sent by Hizbullah, an Israeli official has suggested.

The Israeli army dispelled the notion that the drone might have been launched from the Gaza Strip, and was looking into the possibility that Hizbullah may have dispatched it, a military official told Israeli public radio.

The Ynet news agency said without quoting sources that "Hizbullah launched this drone. It is even possible that Iranians activated its launch and guidance system, and it is apparently of Iranian manufacture."

Ynet added: "The launching of such a craft over such a distance requires advanced means that Hizbullah does not possess up to now."

Asked about the reports by Agence France Presse, an army spokeswoman was unable to confirm or deny them.

In July 2006, the Israeli military shot down an unarmed drone operated by Hizbullah over the Jewish state's territorial waters.

And on April 12, 2005, another pilotless Hizbullah aircraft succeeded in overflying part of northern Israel without being downed.

"An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was identified penetrating Israeli airspace this morning, and was intercepted by the IAF at approximately 10:00 am (0800 GMT)," a military spokesman said on Saturday.

Soldiers were searching the area where the drone was downed, in open areas in the northern Negev, to locate and identify it, the spokesman added.

Army radio said that the aircraft was not carrying explosives.

It quoted a military spokesman as saying troops responsible for monitoring "acted as they should have done after spotting the drone following its intrusion into Israeli airspace."

Military spokeswoman Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovich later told reporters: "This drone was spotted over the Mediterranean in a sector near the Gaza Strip before entering Israeli airspace, where the air force followed it."

"It was followed from the beginning until the time it was decided to intercept it and shoot it down for operational reasons over the Yatir Forest in the northern Negev, an uninhabited region."

Leibovich called the operation a "success", but she did not say how the drone was shot down.

"Israeli soldiers are at the scene and retrieving pieces of debris," she added.

The Hamas Movement strongly denounced the US treasury department for labeling Al-Quds international foundation and the welfare association for Palestinian and Lebanese families-al-Waqifya as terrorist organizations and banning its citizens from dealing with them.

In a press release on Saturday, Hamas highlighted that these organizations are not its affiliates and are known for their humanitarian activities.

Hamas said this decision is consistent with the Zionist agenda and would augment the suffering of the Palestinians at home and abroad.

It expressed its belief that the decision was made in compliance with pressures by the Zionist lobby and the double standard policy pursued by the US against the Palestinian people who are exposed to daily terrorism by Israel and its extremist groups.

"As we reiterate that Hamas Movement has nothing to do with these two institutions, we appeal to the US department of the treasury to backtrack from its unjust verdict and we call upon the organization of Islamic cooperation, the Arab League, the concerned human rights groups and the world's free people to take action against this decision which is in favor of the occupation and its schemes."

An Israeli reconnaissance plane has penetrated Lebanese airspace and flown over parts of the country in flagrant violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The unmanned aerial vehicle crossed into Lebanon’s airspace over the southern village of Kfar Kila, located about 96 kilometers (59 miles) south of the capital Beirut, at 7:05 a.m. local time (0305 GMT) on Thursday, according to a statement issued by the Lebanese military.

The remote-controlled aircraft carried out surveillance flights over several areas in southern Lebanon, including the towns of Riyaq and Baalbek, before it left Lebanese airspace at 1:00 p.m. (1000 GMT) while flying over the southern border town of Alma al-Shaab.

Lebanon’s government, the Hezbollah resistance movement, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, have repeatedly condemned the overflights, saying they are in clear violation of UN Resolution 1701 and the country’s sovereignty.

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brokered a ceasefire in the war of aggression Israel launched against Lebanon in 2006, calls on Israel to respect Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In 2009, Lebanon filed a complaint with the United Nations, presenting over 7,000 documents pertaining to Israeli violations of Lebanese territory.